1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to ornamental attachments for bands, such as bracelets, necklaces, shoe straps, backpack straps, and belts that are worn by a person. More particularly, the present invention relates to such bands that have protrusions designed to engage and retain secondary objects.
2. Prior Art Description
The prior art is replete with band designs, such as bracelets, necklaces, collars, shoe straps and belts that are worn on the body. Such bands are often adorned with protruding objects, such as spikes, studs, and other such objects. However, such adornments are present on the bands merely for aesthetics and/or fashion. Such adornments usually serve no significant functional purpose. This prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. D559,473 to Nguyen, entitled Pet Leg Bracelet and U.S. Pat. No. D543,127 to Daas, entitled Bracelet.
In the toy industry, small toy figures made from elastomeric material have become popular. Such toy figures are typically under an inch tall and weigh under ten grams. Such toy figures are produced by a variety of manufacturers and are sold under popular trade names such as Sqwishland®, Jungle Mania® and Sea Mania®. Such miniature toy characters are typically manufactured to have hollow interiors. By making the toy figures hollow, less raw material is needed and the toy figures are therefore cheaper to manufacture.
In order to manufacture such small toy figures with hollow interiors, a hole is typically formed in the base of the toy figure. Although this hole is a result of making the toy figure hollow, the hole does have other useful functions. The presence of the hole enables the toy figure to engage the eraser end of a pencil or the backend of a pen. In this manner, the toy figure can be used to decorate a pencil or pen. It is for this reason that such small toy figures are often referred to as “toppers” in the marketplace, being that the toy figures can “top” a pen or a pencil.
Since small toy figures are becoming increasingly popular, many children have begun to collect them. However, the toy figures themselves are small and are easily lost. Accordingly, collections of such toy figures should not be just thrown into a book bag or stuffed into a pocket. Rather, the small toy characters should be retained. It is for this reason that manufacturers are now producing play sets, bags and/or other items specifically designed to hold the small toy characters they make. The problem with such prior art storage devices is that the toy characters cannot be seen unless the storage device is open. It is therefore difficult to display a collection without removing the toy characters from their storage device.
The present invention is a device and method for both storing and displaying a collection of small toy figures. The present invention device and method provides a band with protrusions that engage and hold hollow interior of the toy figure. In this manner, the toy figure can be retained while simultaneously being displayed. The details of the present invention are described and claimed below.